The "Dev D" actor says he is organically drawn to characters because he can relate to them.
"I am most attracted to characters and stories that I can relate to. The traditional formula of larger than life I never found attractive. Beat up 10 guys, win the girl, and yet you are supposed to be a normal human being. I don't mind doing that as a superhero but not as a real person!" Abhay told PTI in an interview.
Abhay then went on to work in films like "Road, Movie", "Manorama Six Feet Under", "Shanghai" and "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara".
The star says even when he does commercial films, he makes sure they aren't the ones which hurt the intelligence of the audience.
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"Some films you do because they are dramatic, some because they are entertaining and you love it. I don't think I was so focused on 'entertainment' when I was doing 'Dev D'. I knew the film was entertaining but most people didn't know that...
Abhay, who was last seen on the big screen in 2014 in "One By Two", is all set for his upcoming film "Happy Bhag Jayegi".
The movie also stars Diana Penty, Jimmy Shergill and Ali Fazal, among others.
Abhay says the romantic-comedy surely has 'formula' elements but is not brainless.
"'Happy...' is more in the space of 'Socha na Tha' and 'Zindagi...' It's about entertainment but it is also not insulting your intelligence. For the film, please bring your brains with you."
whom Diana's character, Happy, meets when she accidentally lands up in the neighbouring country.
For the "Aisha" actor, playing a Pakistani wasn't difficult as he studied Urdu when he was 19-year-old and also feels there is hardly any difference between the cultures of the two countries.
"69 years of independence isn't going to change thousands of years of being in the same culture. I am not playing someone who is foreign to me. I am a Punjabi and most of Punjab is in Pakistan. I have the right colour and right accent, if I have to speak Punjabi."
"It makes me feel bad taking a break now because everybody is like 'why did you go, where did you go'. Now they are expecting something good in return. It's like since you have deprived us, tell us why was it worth it," Abhay said.
"Now I am feeling bad. But I had done this once before, so its not the first time I have taken time out. When I come back from a break then I am also charged with energy and desire to give another 3-4 years of hardcore work."